<title>kX Guide for Beginners</title>
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<h3>kX Guide for Beginners</b></p>

<h4>

<p class=Darken><b></b></p>
<p>
 The kX Audio driver was developed for soundcards based on the Emu10k1 and Emu10k2 chips,
 such as the  SBLive, Audigy and other cards. These Emu10kx chips are actually Digital 
 Sound Processors (DSP). If you look at the DSP part of the kX Audio Driver, you can in fact 
 edit the properties and behaviour of the chip on your sound card, by modifying routings, 
 loading and tweaking effects and so on.
</p>
<p>
 To explain this in a bit more detail, let's first look at  the main parts of the kX DSP 
 window. The best way to describe this is to imagine it  as a kind of rack, with different input 
 and output devices and  effect devices, all connected by (very high grade) audio cables. 
 The "devices" you see in the kX DSP window all have inputs (on the left) or outputs 
 (on the right), or both, and are connected to  each other with virtual audio cables 
 (the blue lines).
</p>

<p>
 Apart from the various   plugin effects, there are 4 distinct "I/O" devices in the DSP 
 window. These are the FXbus (2 if you have an 10k2-based card), the Prolog, 
 the Epilog and the (x)Routing device. Let's explore these four in more detail, 
 then we'll have a look at ASIO routing and wrap-up with a review of the kX Routing Window.
</p>

<p class=Darken><b>1. The FXBus</b></p>
<p>
 The FXbus has 16 outputs (or 32 for 10k2-based boards, and 64 if an additional 'FXBus2' effect is 
 uploaded) for audio streams generated by software running on your PC ( such as  an 
 mp3 player, sound from a  MIDI WaveTable synthesizer, or from one of the  ASIO outputs). 
 All  audio data you  generate, will be found on this device. 
</p>

<p class=Darken><b>2. The Prolog</b></p>
<p>
 The prolog  outputs any audio data originating from  OUTSIDE your PC, such as the 
 Digital Optical In on the LiveDrive, or the Digital CD (CDSPDIF) Connector on the card 
 itself. One special output of the prolog  device, which is the cause of much confusion 
 among new  kX driver users, is the AC97 output.
</p>
<p>
 The 10k1 and 10k2 chips are digital chips (yes purists, not all chips are digital :-), 
 and so they  cannot accept analog input directly . On the Live! (Audigy) card, there is another 
 chip responsible for this -  the AC97 codec. This chip connects all of the analog inputs 
 on the Live! board itself (with the exception of the LiveDrive inputs), mixes them, and 
 feeds them into the Emu10kX. This codec is responsible for the LineIn and MicIn of the 
 card itself, and the CD Analog In (but not CD Digital), among others. You can control 
 this codec with the AC97 part of the kX mixer, remembering that  the AC97 line on the Prolog 
 is where the audio data emerges (the Prolog is also the place to find all of the other  
 inputs on the card and on the LiveDrive). Note that the LiveDrive uses high-quality ADC 
 (analog to digital converters) which  are generally superior to AC-97 codecs (the E-mu 
 APS and Audigy2 Platinum Ex don't have AC97 codecs at all). 
</p>

<p class=Darken><b>3. The Epilog</b></p>
<p>
 The Epilog device is where all data eventually output. It consists out of 2 parts; 
 the "real" ('physical') outputs, and the "sampler" (e.g. ASIO) outputs. The real outputs 
 simply reflect  all of the physical outputs (both analog and digital) on the Emu10kX chip.
 Note that  the Emu10kX is capable of 4 stereo digital outputs (yes, the original Live!, and 
 even the 512 PCI, are all 7.1 cards). In order to take advantage of this fact without 
 using a LiveDrive one  can use the "AUD_EXT" connectors found on most 10kx cards  
 (although  some special knowledge and experience is generally required) .
</p>

<p>
 On most 10kX boards, the "front" channel analog output is generated by the AC97 codec whereas 
 the rear channel is done by an I2S codec. For this reason (I2S output is generally superior 
 to AC97 output), kX Audio Driver swaps the 'Front' and 'Rear' connections by default. Note that in the 
 case of Audigy and Audigy2 boards, an I2S  codec is used for front output, and the AC97 
 codec is used for recording from onboard analog connectors only. However, it is still recommended
 to swap the Front and Rear connections because the output signals from the AC97 codec 
 (even muted) are still connected to the 'Front' output of the card (and this impacts sound quality).

</p>

<p>
 The best way to understand all of this, and to take advantage of it, is to not see 
 the 10k1 and 10k2-based cards as  audio cards with front and rear outputs and all, 
 but simply  as a 4 stereo channel output chips (which they actually are). Nobody tells you that 
 you MUST use the "green" connector for your front speakers; you can just as well use 
 it for  your headphone output, and use the "black" (rear) connector as the feed to an 
 audio system (in a club, use the green connector for headphone, black for the house 
 audio feed, and start DJ-ing with 2 separate audio channels). Why use the black for 
 the house audio system? Simple - the black (rear) channel uses the I2S  codec, and thus 
 produces better sound... and the audience deserves the best :-).
</p>

<p>
 The second part of the Epilog is the part with the recording/sampler outputs. These 
 outputs (RecL/R and the 16 ASIO recording channels) are used to feed your PC
 with audio streams. If you output to, for instance, the RecL/R ports, 
 you can record/sample the audio to hard disk by using the standard 
 windows recorder. You can use the 16 ASIO channels, to sample data to, for instance, 
 Cubase, OR use them to feed data into SpinAudio/SoundDT's effect processors. These ports 
 are basically your input connections to your applications (as opposed to the FXbus, which 
 is the output of your applications) 
</p>

<p class=Darken><b>4. Routing</b></p>
<p>
 Thinking back to the imagined "rack" setup, it should already be clear what the Routing device  
 is. It's the central mixer part. The Routing device  mixes the standard outputs of the FXBus 
 and Prolog to the standard inputs of the Epilog, using the settings in the kX mixer control 
 panel (i.e. the sliders). It also has two groups of special FX inputs, which are used to add special 
 effects to the sound. Typically however, the router  sends these 2 special FX mixes only to the 
 real output channels, and not to the recording channels. Note that you can tweak the 
 recording level of inserted effects via kX Mixer's 'Rec' page. 
</p>

<p>
 BUT (and this is the power of kX), you don't have to use any of this! You can make your 
 very own DSP setup, or different setups for different needs, which you can save and restore.
  For instance, plug your guitar  into your LiveDrive's LineIn2. Clear the whole DSP window, 
  and load only the pProlog and Epilog (found with the "default" effects on the effects insert 
  menu). Connect the LineIn2 to the front speakers, and that's it - directly routed. 
  Add another 'line' from the same LineIn2 to the RecL/R, and you can record it just 
  as well. Maybe add a nice EQ or Compressor effect in between somewhere - you get the idea!
</p>

<p class=Darken><b>5. ASIO Routing</b></p>
<p>
 ASIO is the name of a driver "API" made by Steinberg, for the purpose allowing drivers to 
 achieve lower latency. This means that you can have your computer process audio data (coming, 
 for instance, from some software on your PC, or an input on your sound card, and outputting 
 to your sound system), all with latencies as low as near realtime. So when striking notes 
 on a guitar, effects can be added to the signal in almost realtime, and sent to your audio set.
</p>

<p>
 The kX driver's ASIO support allows audio to stream through 16 input and output channels with 
 latency as low as 2.66 ms on a fast and well-tuned system, for both recording and playback.
</p>

<p>ASIO Inputs</p>
<p>
 We've already explained  where the ASIO inputs are found  - 16 channels on the Epilog),  
 route anything to there, and you can use the ASIO inputs in any application, to monitor,
  add effects, sample to hard drive, or output on the same ASIO drivers  - or to any other output 
  for that matter, but then you won't have the advantage of low latency which is the whole point 
  of ASIO). 
</p>

<p>ASIO Outputs</p>
<p>
 You have 16 ASIO outputs. By default, these 16 channels are mapped 1-on-1 on the FX bus, 
 so the 1st ASIO channel outputs on the 1st channel of the FX bus (actually, FXBus #0). 
 So, going back to  our guitar setup, connect the LineIn2 on the Prolog to a set of  
 ASIO recording channels, say the last two (these are suggested only because there is a 
 small problem with SB006x cards not being able to use the 2nd and 3rd ASIO recording 
 lines - see our FAQ for more details).  You now have your guitar on the last 2 ASIO 
 channels. Fire up SpinAudio to add some effects - your input will be the last 2 ASIO 
 channels. Thinking back of the rack, you now have to get the output of SpinAudio back 
 into the DSP in order to connect to some sort of real output (as in for example , our 
 "front + recorder setup"). In Spin Audio, output to the first 2 ASIO channels, to get 
 the signal on the first 2 outputs on the FX bus. Now, draw some virtual cables to the 
 front speakers in the kX DSP window (and to the recorder again maybe, or to another ASIO 
 recorder. You can have as many connections  you like, but keep in mind that  every 
 "connection" to and from the DSP, using the ASIO In and Out channels, adds latency 
 (note that the connections in the kX DSP do not affect the latency at all - you can 
 have as many asyou wish). Add and enable the effects in SpinAudio; start playing, and 
 you've just completed  your first ASIO routing with custom effects! :-) 
</p>

<p class=Darken><b>6. The kX Routing Window</b></p>
<p>
 New users sometimes find the kX Routing Window to be confusing, in part because it has 
 nothing to do with the DSP Routing device and everything to do with the FXBus. If you 
 look at the routing window, you will see  all of the software generated outputs, in a tree 
 list on the left. You have Wave 0/1, 4/5, 6/7 and 8/9 -  these correspond to the 4 wave out 
 devices and their names refer to the "standard" FX routing bus setup 4/5, 6/7 and 8/9 are 
 essentially  copies of the DirectSound/AC3, Front/Rear and Center/Sub channels with  0/1 being 
 the "standard" wave out. You will also find  the AC-3 (and DirectSound, as mentioned above) 
 outputs, the 2 synths, and the ASIO outputs. 
</p>
<p>
How does this relate to the FXBus?
</p>
<p>
 Well, the FXbus has its own internal routing/mixing and all of the software outputs are mapped 
 to one of the FXbus outputs. Normally, stereo wave pair 0/1 is routed to channels 0 and 1 
 (and also to 13 and 14 for effects). The  ASIO Outputs are normally mapped 1-on-1 to the 
 FXbus (channel 1 to FXbus 1), the synths to FX 2 and 3, etc., etc. (check the kX help file 
 for a complete routing table). You may change any of these settings, but the defaults 
 are typically fine for most purposes An example of a special setup would be the addition of 
 multiple mixed effects to specific outputs (similar to the standard Reverb/Chorus on 
 channels 13/14).
</p>
<p>
 So: that concludes our overview of the workings of kX and ASIO - good luck with 
 the drivers and the DSP, and experiment a lot :-) that's the best way to learn!
</p>
</p>


<h5>
 -- written by Mata Hari<br>
 -- (minor corrections by kX Team)<br>
</h5>

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